Ricardo Silveira moved from Verve/Forecast to Herbie Mann's Kokopelli label with Storyteller, an NAC/pop-jazz effort that isn't great but has its moments. This CD isn't the gem that Silveira, a gifted guitarist with a healthy appreciation of Pat Metheny, is quite capable of delivering. But despite its shortcomings, Storyteller is an improvement over 1992's Small World, his last project before leaving Verve/Forecast, and offers some noteworthy writing and playing. The album could have used less production, and the use of drum machines on some tunes doesn't do Silveira any good. But the Brazilian guitarist has some noteworthy moments on the melancholy "Still Think of You," the intriguing "The Puzzle," the Caribbean-flavored "Island Magic," and the lively title song. Silveira is capable of a lot more, but again, this album does have its moments. ~ Alex Henderson